Dead Red Oak Removal and Hauling

January 5, 2019

My friend, Brandon, was removing this dead red oak tree in Andover, MN last summer. Since it was pretty sizable, he knew I’d be interested in having the trunk to run through my sawmill.

This removal ended up happening over the course of three days. The first two days, Brandon got out to the site around 3pm and I had to take off by about 4:30 to get home in time to watch my boys. Day 1 consisted of dropping the limbs to the left and right, leaving just the middle section for the next day.

Day two started with Brandon climbing the main limb all the way to the top. While Brandon climbed, I tried to act busy by moving brush into a pile.

Probably the most amazing thing watching from the ground, is how physically demanding this work is. Climb all the way up this tree and then swing a chainsaw around gradually working the tree back down to the ground. I don’t think I could do it. If I tried, I’d be taking breaks all the time to catch my breath!

The tree limbed back to the stem.

With his feet on the ground, Brandon drops the trunk. That trunk falling made quite the thud.

Moving the Log

Since this log was too big for my trailer both by weight (~6300lbs) and length (13′), we decided to try to get it into Brandon’s dump trailer. We knew that we could use my trailer to move the log but just needed to come up with a strategy to get the log off the ground and onto the dump trailer. We came up with the following. Use my trailer to lift the end of the log and set it on some smaller logs.

This would position the end of the log high enough so the dump trailer could be backed under the end of the log. This took care of getting the log up to deck height.

Brandon unhooked the trailer and I positioned my trailer so it was contacting the tongue of the dump trailer. Then it was just a matter of using the arch to pull the log the rest of the way onto the trailer. The small logs that were holding the logs acted as rollers to help the log along and keep it up off the ground.

Success!

Back in my driveway, gravity worked in our favor and it was s simple matter of dumping the log next to the mill. I placed some stacks of wood under the log to keep it up off the ground. I’m planning on rolling this log onto the mill so the closer I can get the log to deck height at this point will mean less work raising it later.

Lastly, I sealed the ends of the log with Anchorseal to prevent it from checking (cracking) and this log is officially in the queue for milling! The final saw log is 36″ in diameter and almost 13′ long.

Man, you know how to work! Inspiring. You can do so many things, including innovating, solving puzzles as they pop up, using your mental faculties and physical strength and endurance to the fullest extent. Everyday is like a mission requiring everything you’ve got and you meet those challenges; no, you embrace them.

You ought to teach these kinds of skills in the field with your local high school backing. Plenty of kids in school have no interest in being cultivated for a 9-5 office job, but would thrive working on these kinds of projects.
I appreciate how you worked with your dad as a boy and took away many valuable lessons. I’m sure he loved having you by his side, too. Keep it up. You are very likely having more of a positive impact on others than you know.